Assessment of the evaluation approaches of agricultural projects in Bojanala Region of the North West Province, South Africa

Abstract

A central question in agricultural extension evaluation is whether extension staff is familiar with appropriate evaluation prescripts for evaluating extension activities, and to what extent or how often do they implement those prescripts. The study assessed the approaches followed by the extension staff to evaluate agricultural projects in Bojanala Extension Region. It, specifically, provided a demographic orientation of extension staff in the Region. It also provided some orientation to project performance, and determined the effect of independent variables on the proficiency to formulate project objectives and determined knowledge with regard to formulation of objectives, the frequency at which these extension staff evaluate projects, and their knowledge on committee involvement in evaluation. Lastly, the study looked at the effect of PMDS rating of the extension staff on their proficiency to formulate project objectives, the frequency at which they evaluate projects and their knowledge on committee involvement in evaluation, and determined the respondents’ knowledge (intervening variable) with regard to the dependent variables. A total of 40 respondents (extension workers) were involved in interview sessions allowing extensive interaction and discussion before individuals were requested to record their viewpoints regarding various alternatives in questionnaires and prepared for that purpose and which were subsequently analysed. The results reveal that there is under-representation of female extension staff, with relatively old extension workers (40 years and older). The majority of the Regional extension workers are in possession of technically specialised qualifications. Also, it is clear that technically advised agricultural extension projects are more successful than the LRAD, Food Security and LandCare projects. The results also provide evidence, that project objectives are often not clear, specific, and measurable. Only 50% of the respondents in possession of NQF Level 7&8 qualification scored average points regarding project objective formulation. 31.5% respondents in all ranks indicated only an average and even below average ability to formulate objectives. Merely 33.3% in possession of NQF Level 7&8 evaluate projects on a monthly or less basis. Extension workers with 15 years or less experience evaluate their projects more frequently than the respondents with 16 years or more experience. The agricultural technicians seem to be having limited responsibility of evaluating projects in which they are involved. The other disappointing revelation is that only 23% of the respondents evaluate the projects after completion of every activity and only 29.7% clearly indicated that they know exactly to what extent committee members are involved in the evaluation of projects. Copyright